U.S. Pat. No. 7,643,961 B2 relates to a position detecting device and a position detecting method, and, particularly, to a position detecting device and a position detecting method effective with regard to wafer alignment in semiconductor exposure devices and its objective is to archive a high-precision position detecting method and position detecting device to serve as an alignment or overlaying detection device in an exposure apparatuses used in manufacturing semiconductor devices, wherein position detection precision is not lost even in the event that the alignment marks to be used are not symmetric, or further in the event that there are irregularities in the non-symmetry of multiple alignment marks within the same wafer.
European Patent Application No. EP 0 397 937 A2 disclosed an automatic test equipment, and more particularly to automated parametric test systems for determining the characteristics of integrated circuits during the development of processes for manufacturing such circuits. The invention further disclosed, in the development of processes for manufacturing integrated circuits, it is necessary to frequently conduct tests on semiconductor components manufactured by the process, to determine whether structures on the individual semiconductor components meet desired specifications. Accordingly, once a process is developed, a sample of components is manufactured in accordance with the process and parametric tests are performed on the components to determine the effects the process may have on operating characteristics of circuit devices within the said components.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,884,936 B2 relates generally to semiconductor metrology and inspection. More specifically, it relates to metrology or inspection that employs scanning of a target with an incident beam. Due to the large scale of circuit integration and the decreasing size of semiconductor devices, the device must comply with rigorous specification requirements prior to shipment of the device to the end users or customers. Particular parameters are measured or characterized within special test structures or targets using metrology or inspection tool. By way of example, multiple targets are designed to measure misalignment or overlay errors between two adjacent layers. In an inspection or metrology process, an incident beam is directed towards a particular spot, which includes a first target. After the incident beam reacts with the first target, the output beam is then collected from the first target. The incident beam is required to remain at the first target until enough information is collected into the output beam scattered from the first target. The collected output beam can then be analyzed to determine various characteristics regarding the first target.
Presently, turret type testing apparatus that is capable of rotating in a circular motion where the semiconductor components are sent to the tester one at a time are known. This type of tester machines can only test one type of semiconductor components at one time.
In view of this and other shortcomings of the existing art, it would be useful and advantageous if the delivery system of the turret type testing apparatus could be improved to allow more than one semiconductor components to be tested simultaneously on the same testing apparatus. In this way, if the semiconductor components to be tested are of the same types, the throughout would be doubled. Alternatively, the delivery system also enables at least two different types of semiconductor components to be tested simultaneously on the same testing apparatus. By testing at least two different types of semiconductor components simultaneously, the number of testing apparatus required on site could be reduced, with significant improved productivity and efficiency. Besides, it could save cost, time and space by conducting tests on at least two semiconductor components in parallel.
It is also an objective of the present invention to provide for a delivery system where the tested non defective semiconductor components can be packaged in more than one way in the same testing apparatus, including a tube, a tape or a bin or a combination thereof.